Iraq’s billion-dollar used car parts paradise
"It's a money-making machine," says garage owner Karhi Bakr, 59, about the import of secondhand car parts into the Kurdistan capital of Irbil. Containers full of parts from cars written off after accidents in the West continue to pour into the city, which has become a major hub for the trade. Some of the 200 or […]Judit Neurink writes for Deutsche Welle:
"It's a money-making machine," says garage owner Karhi Bakr, 59, about the import of secondhand car parts into the Kurdistan capital of Irbil.
Containers full of parts from cars written off after accidents in the West continue to pour into the city, which has become a major hub for the trade. Some of the 200 or so Kurdish traders involved have become very rich, Bakr says. "Their profits are enormous. If I had a partner willing to invest, I would also go to Europe to collect used parts."
For now, Bakr only uses parts that others have imported to repair German cars in his small garage in Irbil's "Car Quarter." During his 17 years in Denmark, he specialized in Mercedes repairs. Here in Irbil, most of his customers ask for secondhand parts. Only those who can't afford genuine parts will buy the cheap, poor-quality Chinese copies. "Secondhand is usually as good as new but goes for half the price. Chinese parts sell for around a quarter the price of new ones."
